Yes. It is legal to perform surveillance. The insurance company in your case is likely to be trying to see if your restrictions are less than you and your doctor say they are or catch you lying about the extent of your injuries.  Avoid doing any strenuous activity outside beyond what the doctor tells you.  Even when we are in pain sometimes we extend ourselves and do things that may cause us pain because it is for a very short period of time and we have no one to help us.  The insurer will try to make it look like there is nothing wrong with you. While you may be able to bend over and pick something up once, this does not mean that you can do it all day. They may make a videotape that may be very misleading. Be smart and protect your rights in your case.